Single row carrier



May 29, 1956 R. M. BERGSTEIN 2,747,766

SINGLE ROW CARRIER Filed Dec. 17, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheel 1-11/1//1111111/1, '1111111111111'. ,11 lll/IIA IN VEN TOR. #7055er Mffosrs/M- ATTORNEYS.

May 29, 1956 R. M. BERGSTEIN 2,747,766

SINGLE ROW CARRIER I N V EN TOR.

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May 29 1956 R. M. BERGSTEIN SINGLE Row CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledDec. 17, 1952 ATTORN EYS.

United States .Patent O SINGLE ROW CARRIER Robert M. ergstein, Wyoming,Ohio, assignor to The Bergstein Packaging Trust, a trust composed ofRobert M. Bergstein and Frank D. Bergstein, trustees ApplicationDecember 17, 1952, Serial No. 326,536

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-113) My invention relates to paperboard bottlecarriers, and more particularly to a carrier for a single .row ofbottles or containers.

To date the practical art has concentrated on the provision ofsix-bottle carriers wherein the bottles are arranged in two rows ofthree bottles each, with a carrying handle projecting upwardly frombetween the rows of bottles. Such carriers are now in widespread use forthe transportation of six to twelve ounce bottles and containers.However, to my knowledge there is .not a practical bottle carrier on themarket suitable for the packaging and transportation of larger bottles,such as quart-size bottles. The size and construction of theconventional six-bottle carrier precludes its use for carrying quartbottles; nor is it feasible to increase the size of the conventionalsix-bottle carriers to accommodate quart A conventional six-bottlecarton, .if enlarged to accommodate siX quart-size bottles, would beunduly 'cumbersome in use and its carrying weight would be excessive tothe extent of taxing the strength of the user as 'well as the strengthof the boxboard from which the .carrier is made. Thus the present typeof six bottle carrier is wholly impracticable where quart bottles areconcerned. ln addition, consumer demand for beverages and the like in.quart containers generally runs in a small number of units, such asthree bottles, rather than in a larger number of units.

it is, therefore, a principal object of my .invention to provide apractical and efficient single row carrier for large bottles, as forexample, three quart bottles in a single row.

lt is a further object of my invention to provide a bottle carrier ofthe character described having a reinforced carrying handle which willsafely carry the weight of the bottles placed therein, even where thebottles are of relatively 'large size.

lt is a vfurther object of my invention to provide a onepiece knoclodowncarrier structure which can be manufactured using folding and gluingequipment kcurrently available in the industry.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a single rowcarrier wherein the bottles are effectively separated by means ofpartition elements, and wherein the partition elements serve toreinforce the side Walls of the carrier and prevent them from Vbowing'outwardly under the weight of the bottles.

Stil another object of my invention lies in the provision of sirnpliiiedprocedures for forming my carrier structure in a continuous high-speedoperation.

These and other objects of my invention which lwill appear hereinafteror will be apparent to the skilled worker in the art upon reading thesespecifications, "l accomplish by that construction `and arrangement ofparts and in those procedures -of `which I shall new `describe certainexemplary embodiments. Reference is now made to the drawings -wherein:

Figure l is a plan View of the blank for :my carrier.

Figure 2 is a partial plan View of 'the carrying handle portion of theblank illustrating an initial step in the folding and gluing of thehandle element.

Figure 3 is a partial plan view similar to Figure 2 illustrating asuccessive step in the formation of the carrier handle.

VFigure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the carrier blank in an intermediate stageduring the folding and gluing opera tions.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the Hat folded carrier structure formed fromthe blank of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 6 withthe parts in slightly expanded condition.

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to Figure 7 but with the parts inthe fully erected condition.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 6 withthe parts in slightly expanded condition.

Figure l() is a plan view of the fully erected carrier.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the fully erected carrier as seenfrom the front thereof.

Figure l2 is a perspective view of the fully erected and filled carrieras seen from the rear thereof.

Figure 13 is a ,plan view of a blank for a modified form of my carrier.

Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17 illustrate successive stages in the foldingand gluing of the blank of Figure 13 to form a flat folded carrierstructure.

Figure 18 is a sectional view taken along the line 18-18 of vFigure 17with the parts in slightly expanded condition.

Figure 19 is a sectional `view similar to Figure 18 but with the carrierparts in the fully expanded or erected condition.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the carrier blank is formedfrom boxboard or paperboard die-cut and scored to provide a bottom panel1 divided by a medial score line 2. A side wall panel 3 is articulatedto one edge of the bottom panel along the line of articulation 4 andsimilarly the -side wall panel 5 is articulated yto `the opposite sideedge of the bottom panel along the line of articulation 6. Thedimensioning of the parts is such that the side wall panels are of equalwidth, but the side wall panel 5 is of a depth substantially greaterthan the depth of side wall panel 3 so as to extend thereabove in theerected carrier.

Partial end wall panels 7 and S are articulated to the opposite sideedge of side wall panel 3, and cooperating partial end'wall panels 9 andlil are articulated to the opposite side edges of side wall panel 5.Attachment flaps 11 and 12 are in turn articulated to the partial endwalls Apanels 9 and 1d, respectively, along the score lines 13 and 14. Ahand-hole forming tab 15 is formed in the side wall panel 5 spaced fromthe upper edge thereof in the manner illustrated; and lateral partitionforming elements 1'6 land 17 are also formed in the side wall panel 5,being articulated thereto along the vertically vdisposed score lines 18and 19, the said partition elements having tongues 20 and 21 formedtherein Vfor engagement with Vthe tongues v22 and 23 of thev lockingelements 24 and 25 `formed adjacent the top edge of side wall panel 3and articulated thereto along the score lines 26 and 27. VTheVpositioning of the lateral partition elements and the locking elementsis such that their top edges will coincide in the erected carrier, withtheir respective ktongue elements in interengagement. v

.At the top edge of the side wall panel 5, l provide a reinforcing panel28 articulated to the side wall panel valong the line .of articulation29. in accordance with my coperrding application Serial No. 293,536,'tiled June 114,

1952 and entitled Bottle Carrier With Reinforced Handle And Method OfMaking It, the reinforcing panel 28 is provided with reinforcingportions 30 and 31, the portion 39 being articulated to the panel 23along the score line 32 with the reinforcing portion 31 articulated toportion 30 along score line 33. The reinforcing portions 30 and 31 arepreferably longer than the overall length of the hand-hole opening inthe side wall panel and positioned so as to extend somewhat beyond thehand-hole opening at either end.

In assembling the blank just described into a knockeddown carrierstructure, the blank may be folded by hand, if desired; but preferablyit will be folded and glued using automatic machinery. The constructionof the carrier blank is such that the carrier may be formed on aconventional right-angle folding and gluing machine, or it may be formedon a straight-line gluer such as the Staude Master Gluer.

With the carton blank illustrated, l prefer to form the handle part ofthe carrier first, the initial folding step, as seen in Figure 2,comprising the infolding of the reinforcing portions 30 and 31 along thescore line 32. The infolding of the reinforcing portions may beaccompanied by the interposition of adhesive between the reinforcingportions and the parts which they overlie when infolded, although inmany instances the application of such adhesive may be eliminated. AsWill be evident from Figure 2, the dimensions of the reinforcingportions and their position is such that, in the folded condition, thescore line 33 separating the reinforcing portions will lie along theline of articulation 29 separating the reinforcing panel 28 from sidewall panel 5. The reinforcing portion 31 thus overlies the side Wallpanel in the area between the top edge thereof and the hand-holeopening. Upon the application of adhesive to the outer edge of thereinforcing panel 28, as indicated by the shaded area 34, thereinforcing panel is infolded along the score line 29 to bring the blankto the condition illustrated in Figure 3.

The infolding of the panel 28 brings about the folding of thereinforcing portions 30 and 31 relative to each other along the scoreline 33 so that, in the folded condition, the reinforcing portions arejuxtaposed and sandwiched between the upper portion of the side wallpanel 5 and the reinforcing panel 28. This results in the provision of areinforced handle having four thicknesses of boxboard in the areaimmediately above the hand-hole opening. The reinforcing portions 30 and31, being of a length somewhat greater than the length of the hand-holeopening, act to prevent tearing of the side wall panel 5 in the areasimmediately above the ends of the hand-hole opening which have beenfound from experience to be the points of greatest weakness in a carrierhandle. As best seen in Figure 4, the hand-hole tab is folded throughthe opening in reinforcing panel 28 created by the handle reinforcingportions 30 and 31, when it is desired to pick up the carrier by meansof the handle portion thereof.

Following the formation of the reinforced handle, the carrier is nextfolded along the medial score line 2 to bring the parts to the conditionillustrated in Figure 5, whereupon adhesive may be applied to thepartial end wall panels 7 and 8 and the attachment flaps 11 and 12infolded to overlie the partial end wall panels to bring the carrierstructure to the condition illustrated in Figure 6, which is theknocked-down condition of the carrier. As will be evident, the adhesivemay be applied to the attachment flaps 11 and 12 rather than to thepartial end wall panels.

As will be clearly evident from Figures 5 and 6, the dimensioning of theparts is such that the side wall panel 3 overlies side wall panel 5, thebottom and side edges of the side wall panel 3 coinciding with thecorresponding edges of the side wall panel 5. The top edge of the sidewall panel 3, however, terminates just below the ,4 lowermost edge ofthe reinforcing panel 28, and the arrangement is such that the top edgesof the locking elements 24 and 25 coincide with the top edges of thelateral partition forming elements 16 and 17. Also, the dimensions ofthe attachment aps 11 and 12 are such that they will overlie the partialend wall panels 7 and 8 in the manner best seen in Figure 6.

The carrier just described may be conveniently shipped to the user inthe knocked-down or at folded condition, and the user has but to pressinwardly on the end walls of the carrier to effect its erection. lt willbe noted that the carrier is characterized by having medial lines offold in the end walls and bottom, which facilitates the erection of thecarrier. Upon erection of the carrier body walls, the lateral partitionelements and the locking elements are infolded along their respectivescore lines and the tongues 2t] and 22, and 21 and 23 brought intointerlocking engagement to bring the carrier into the conditionillustrated in Figures 8, 10 and 11, which is the completely erectedcondition. As seen in Figure 12, three bottles A are placed in thecarrier side-by-side and the bottles are effectively separated from eachother by means of the lateral partition forming elements 16 and 17.Preferably, the top edge of the side wall panel 5 will coincide with thetops of the bottles A so that, where desired, a plurality of thecarriers may be stacked one upon the other.

The carrier structure just described is essentially an outfoldedstructure in that the end wall forming panels eX- tend outwardly beyondthe ends of the main body walls in the flat folded condition of thecarrier. It is, however, within the spirit of my invention to provide athreebottle carrier in which the end wall panels are infolded ratherthan outfolded. Referring to Figure 13 of the drawings, I have thereinillustrated a blank similar to that illustrated in Figure l but modifiedso as to permit the infolding of the end wall panels. In thismodification of my invention, like parts have been given like referencenumerals for simplicity in identification. As will be evident from acomparison of Figures l and 13, the only changes in the blank are areduction in the size of the reinforcing panel 28a and a widening of thepartial end Wall panels 7a and 8a to have a combined width substantiallyequal to the width of the partial end wall panel 9 and its attachment ap11 or the partial end wall panel i@ and its attachment flap 12.

To assemble the modified blank, the blank is preferably first moved inthe direction indicated by the arrow B, whereupon the partial end wallpanels 9 and 16 are infolded to overlie the side wall panel 5 and theattachment aps 11 and 12 are reversely folded to overlie the partial endwall panels. Concurrently the partial end wall panels 7a and Sa areinfolded to overlie the side wall panel 3. Following the infolding ofthese parts the blank is next moved in the direction of the arrow C(Figure l5) whereupon the reinforcing portions 30 and 31, and thereinforcing panel 28a will be infolded and secured in the same manner asdescribed n connection with the blank of Figure 1. The purpose forreducing the size of the reinforcing panel 28a will be evident fromFigure 16, the reduction in size or recessing of the reinforcing panelbeing such as to permit the reinforcing panel, when infolded, to clearthe infolded partial end wall panels.

Following the formation of the reinforced handle, the blank, while stillbeing moved in the direction of the arrow C, will have adhesive appliedto the revcrsely folded attachment flaps 11 and 12 whereupon the blankis folded along the medial score line 2 in the bottom panel to bring theside wall panel 3 into overlying relationship with side Wall panel 5,with the partial end wall panels 7a and 8a into adhesive contact withthe attachment flaps 11 and 12, the blank thus assuming the conditionillustrated in Figure 17. Since the partial end wall panels 7a and 8aare substantially twice as wide as the attachment flaps 11 and 12, thepartial end wall panels 7a and 8a will extend inwardly beyond theinnermost edges of the infolded partial end wall panels 9 and 10 and theattachment flaps 11 and 12, in the manner best seen in Figure 18. Uponerection of the carrier to the position illustrated in Figure 19, thepartial end wall panels 7a and 8a will extend completely across the endsof the carton and, being unscored, will act to maintain the parts in theerected condition. The construction is such, however, that the carriermay be readily collapsed by inwardly directed pressure against the endwall panels thereof.

While I have illustrated the infolded form of the carrier as it would beconstructed using a right angle folding and gluing machine, it will beevident that a carrier having the infolded construction as to its endwalls could also be provided where the carton is assembled on a straightline gluer.

With either of the exemplary modifications described above, the carrierconstruction is such that three quartsize bottles may be convenientlytransported and adequately protected. While it would be possible to formthe carrier with side wall panels of equal height, I prefer anarrangement wherein the one side wall is lower than the other with theend wall panels having their upper edges inclined. This constructionenables me to form the locking ap adjacent the top edge of the one wallpanel rather than well below the top edge, as would be the case if thetwo side walls Were of equal height, and it is therefore much easier tointerconnect the locking iiaps and transverse partition elements. Also,I have found that the offset relation of the side walls provides thebest carrying condition for the bottles placed therein; provides forbetter display of the bottles; and, as already indicated, greatlyfacilitates the locking of the transverse partition elements. It will beevident, also, that two of my carriers may be placed back-to-back so asto bring the handle members into juxtapositions and the two carrierspicked up as a single unit.

Other modifications may be made in my invention without departing fromthe spirit of it. For example, while I have described my invention as itapplies to a carrier for three bottles, the invention is equallyapplicable to carriers for a greater or lesser number of bottles to bealigned in a single row. Having, however, described my invention inseveral exemplary embodiments, what I desire to protect and secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a one-piece, collapsible single row carrier, opposed side wallsconnected to each other along three edges by panels collapsing on mediallines of fold, one of said side wall panels extending above the otherand having a hand-hole opening formed therein spaced from the top edgeof said last named side wall, a reinforcing panel articulated to the topedge of said last named side' wall, said reinforcing panel having a flapformed therein defining, when displaced from the plane of saidreinforcing panel, a hand-hole opening adapted to be juxtaposed to saidiirst named hand-hole opening, said iiap being divided by a longitudinalscore line into a pair of articulated reinforcing portions saidreinforcing panel being infolded and secured to said last named sidewall with said reinforcing portions juxtaposed to each other andinterposed between said last named side wall and said reinforcing panelin the area above said hand-hole openings, thereby providing a quadruplethickness reinforced carrying handle, transverse partition elementsformed in said last named body wall below said reinforcing panel, andlocking aps formed in the other of said side walls adjacent the top edgethereof for engagement with said transverse partition elements to dividesaid carrier into a plurality of cells.

2. The bottle carrier claimed in claim 1 wherein said reinforcingportions are longer than the hand-hole opening in said last named sideWall and extend beyond the ends thereof, whereby to reinforce the saidhand-hole openings at the ends thereof Where tearing is most likely tooccur.

3. The structure claimed in claim 2 wherein said locking aps and saidtransverse partition elements include mating locking tongues forinterconnecting said locking ilaps and said transverse partitionelements.

4. The structure claimed in claim 3 wherein the panels connecting theends of said opposed side walls comprise end walls having their upperedges inclined downwardly from the top edge of the handle forming sidewall to the top edge of the other of said side Walls, and wherein thetop edges of said transverse partition elements and said locking apscoincide with the top edge of the other of said side walls.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,077,322 Ward Nov. 4, 1913 1,597,251 Shill Aug. 24, 1926 2,107,999Friedel Feb. 8, 1938 2,111,621 Gerking Mar. 22, 1938 2,351,528 LuptonJune 13, 1944 2,354,528 Lowey July 25, 1944 2,430,755 Bergstein Nov. 11,1947 2,460,909 Shaier Feb. 8, 1949 2,575,654 Casler Nov. 20, 1951

